A Tour of Duty Story.
The characters are not mine, they belong to TNT, History Channel, Zev Braun, etc
Chapter 2: Friends and Enemies
The Following morning:
Annie was relieved to find herself waking up to a room full of living, breathing people.
She let out a sigh of relief. She jumped out of bed and got dressed. She didn't really care for the fact that she didn't have much privacy, but at least it was all girls.
Just then a young woman walked towards the new group of girls. Annie noticed her long, brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
"Hello, My name is Susanna. I'm going to show you around the base, and then you'll meet the woman who is head of the donut girls on this base," she finished with a smile.
Annie liked this girl instantly. She seemed warm and friendly.
Annie's hand shot up, "Are you a donut girl?"
Susanna shook her head. "No, though sometimes I wish I was. I'm a nurse here." The room grew silent. They were surprised to find a nurse, that they felt would fit right in with the donut dollies.
"Now I'm sure you have all been told by the government to refer to yourselves as donut girls, but you'll find that many of the soldiers have affectionately, come to think of the donut girls as donut dollies. Now, I don't have a problem with that, do any of you?" Susanna questioned. They all shook their heads. "Good," she said with a smile. "Let's get started with the tour, shall we," and ushered the other women ahead of her. As they made their way out into the bright sunshine Susanna informed them, "We are leaving Da Nang within the next few days." The other girls stopped to turn around and look at her. She saw the various expressions of fear and anxiety cross their faces. "No need to worry," she said smiling, "Da Nang is just getting to small for us, that's all." As soon as the other girls turned around and started walking again, Susanna's smile faded, and she wished that was the only reason they were leaving Da Nang.
After spending 45 minutes baking in the sun the donut dollies were ready for some cold showers.
"I imagine you are all hot and sweaty, and you would love a cold shower right?" Susanna asked with a wicked grin. They all nodded. "Follow me," was all she said. She introduced them to a row of three shower stalls, out in the middle of the camp.
One of the girls, Lindsey, gasped, "There's no privacy!" she almost wailed. Susanna had to stifle a laugh.
"There's a little, but you'll get used to it," Susanna said sympathetically. At least you have front and back walls, when I first came here the walls didn't quite stretch that far," Susanna said trying not to smile but failing miserably. Susanna thought back to what it was like when she first got here, fortunately, several girls would stand in front of her to keep her from being seen. "This is its own kind of wilderness, girls. Out here you will need to stick up for each other." They all nodded, because deep down they knew it was true. "Get cleaned up, then go get some food at the mess hall, and meet me back at the hooch at 11 am. or 23:00 hours." She smiled at the perplexed looks on their faces. "Don't worry about the military time, you'll understand it soon enough." she said with a smile. They made their way to the mess hall, thanks to Susanna's directions. When they walked through the doors they were surprised at all the soldiers still there. They got in the cafeteria line and took their trays to an almost empty table. There were three guys sitting at the table.
Lindsey elbowed Annie, "Hey, isn't that the guy who was waiting outside your bathroom stall telling you to hurry up and finish?" Annie nodded, smiling.
"He's kinda cute." Lindsey said with a grin. "He has such light blue eyes." The young soldier with the blond crew cut looked up from his food and noticed Lindsey staring at him. Quickly she put her head down. "I think he saw me," she whispered frantically to Annie. Annie shook her head and continued eating. "I don't think it upset him. Didn't you see his face? I could see a smile at the corner of his lips."
"Are you sure?" Lindsey almost squealed in delight.
"Positive," Annie said encouragingly. "Why don't you go sit down next to him?" Annie suggested.
"Ooh, I can't. He might think it too forward of me," Lindsey said doubtfully. Lindsey turned her head in his direction, only to find him staring at her too. Feeling hopeful, Lindsey squared her shoulders and said, "Wish me luck." Annie quickly scanned the room, looking for an empty table. She felt like being alone, where she could think.
No sooner did she find an empty table, than someone sat down next to her. She sighed and started to get up.
"Oh, hey, you don't have to leave," reacting quickly the soldier put his hand on her arm. She stared down at his hand on her arm, her eyes showing just the slightest hint of fear. Realizing what he was doing he quickly released her arm. "Oh, sorry," he muttered, without looking up at her, "didn't mean to scare ya."
"No, that's okay, you just startled me that's all."
"I just didn't want you to leave because you felt you had to," the soldier said.
"So, what's your name soldier," Annie said, a smile playing on her lips.
"Scott Baker Ma'am," he said politely. He lifted his head up with a big grin on his face.
Just then, L.T. came up to the table and abruptly said, "Baker, I need you, Ruiz and Purcell to come with me. We just got word of a Vietnamese village that is suspected to be housing American weapons for our men, but unfortunately, we think that the NVA has just found out about the village. We need to intercept the North Vietnamese before they reach the village. I'll get the rest of our men before we leave our base."
"Yes sir, L.T." Baker said getting up and giving him a salute.
"But you haven't eaten yet!" Annie said, giving Goldman a harsh look.
"I appreciate your concern Ma'am, but I'll have time to eat later," Baker said and rushed out to meet the other soldiers.
"That was mean!" Annie hissed to L.T.
L.T. gritted his teeth in an attempt to control his temper.
"This is war, not Breakfast at Tiffany's," L.T. said calmly as he headed out to the helicopter. Annie right on his heels, said, "But he could at least have had breakfast, your mission can wait," she argued.
L.T. whirled around in anger, "My mission can wait! This isn't my mission, this is our mission, my team's. I didn't choose this war, it chose me!" he yelled in her face. Surprised, she didn't know whether to slap him or walk away. She didn't get the chance to decide as an explosion rocked the base.
The characters are not mine, they belong to TNT, History Channel, Zev Braun, etc
Chapter 2: Friends and Enemies
The Following morning:
Annie was relieved to find herself waking up to a room full of living, breathing people.
She let out a sigh of relief. She jumped out of bed and got dressed. She didn't really care for the fact that she didn't have much privacy, but at least it was all girls.
Just then a young woman walked towards the new group of girls. Annie noticed her long, brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
"Hello, My name is Susanna. I'm going to show you around the base, and then you'll meet the woman who is head of the donut girls on this base," she finished with a smile.
Annie liked this girl instantly. She seemed warm and friendly.
Annie's hand shot up, "Are you a donut girl?"
Susanna shook her head. "No, though sometimes I wish I was. I'm a nurse here." The room grew silent. They were surprised to find a nurse, that they felt would fit right in with the donut dollies.
"Now I'm sure you have all been told by the government to refer to yourselves as donut girls, but you'll find that many of the soldiers have affectionately, come to think of the donut girls as donut dollies. Now, I don't have a problem with that, do any of you?" Susanna questioned. They all shook their heads. "Good," she said with a smile. "Let's get started with the tour, shall we," and ushered the other women ahead of her. As they made their way out into the bright sunshine Susanna informed them, "We are leaving Da Nang within the next few days." The other girls stopped to turn around and look at her. She saw the various expressions of fear and anxiety cross their faces. "No need to worry," she said smiling, "Da Nang is just getting to small for us, that's all." As soon as the other girls turned around and started walking again, Susanna's smile faded, and she wished that was the only reason they were leaving Da Nang.
After spending 45 minutes baking in the sun the donut dollies were ready for some cold showers.
"I imagine you are all hot and sweaty, and you would love a cold shower right?" Susanna asked with a wicked grin. They all nodded. "Follow me," was all she said. She introduced them to a row of three shower stalls, out in the middle of the camp.
One of the girls, Lindsey, gasped, "There's no privacy!" she almost wailed. Susanna had to stifle a laugh.
"There's a little, but you'll get used to it," Susanna said sympathetically. At least you have front and back walls, when I first came here the walls didn't quite stretch that far," Susanna said trying not to smile but failing miserably. Susanna thought back to what it was like when she first got here, fortunately, several girls would stand in front of her to keep her from being seen. "This is its own kind of wilderness, girls. Out here you will need to stick up for each other." They all nodded, because deep down they knew it was true. "Get cleaned up, then go get some food at the mess hall, and meet me back at the hooch at 11 am. or 23:00 hours." She smiled at the perplexed looks on their faces. "Don't worry about the military time, you'll understand it soon enough." she said with a smile. They made their way to the mess hall, thanks to Susanna's directions. When they walked through the doors they were surprised at all the soldiers still there. They got in the cafeteria line and took their trays to an almost empty table. There were three guys sitting at the table.
Lindsey elbowed Annie, "Hey, isn't that the guy who was waiting outside your bathroom stall telling you to hurry up and finish?" Annie nodded, smiling.
"He's kinda cute." Lindsey said with a grin. "He has such light blue eyes." The young soldier with the blond crew cut looked up from his food and noticed Lindsey staring at him. Quickly she put her head down. "I think he saw me," she whispered frantically to Annie. Annie shook her head and continued eating. "I don't think it upset him. Didn't you see his face? I could see a smile at the corner of his lips."
"Are you sure?" Lindsey almost squealed in delight.
"Positive," Annie said encouragingly. "Why don't you go sit down next to him?" Annie suggested.
"Ooh, I can't. He might think it too forward of me," Lindsey said doubtfully. Lindsey turned her head in his direction, only to find him staring at her too. Feeling hopeful, Lindsey squared her shoulders and said, "Wish me luck." Annie quickly scanned the room, looking for an empty table. She felt like being alone, where she could think.
No sooner did she find an empty table, than someone sat down next to her. She sighed and started to get up.
"Oh, hey, you don't have to leave," reacting quickly the soldier put his hand on her arm. She stared down at his hand on her arm, her eyes showing just the slightest hint of fear. Realizing what he was doing he quickly released her arm. "Oh, sorry," he muttered, without looking up at her, "didn't mean to scare ya."
"No, that's okay, you just startled me that's all."
"I just didn't want you to leave because you felt you had to," the soldier said.
"So, what's your name soldier," Annie said, a smile playing on her lips.
"Scott Baker Ma'am," he said politely. He lifted his head up with a big grin on his face.
Just then, L.T. came up to the table and abruptly said, "Baker, I need you, Ruiz and Purcell to come with me. We just got word of a Vietnamese village that is suspected to be housing American weapons for our men, but unfortunately, we think that the NVA has just found out about the village. We need to intercept the North Vietnamese before they reach the village. I'll get the rest of our men before we leave our base."
"Yes sir, L.T." Baker said getting up and giving him a salute.
"But you haven't eaten yet!" Annie said, giving Goldman a harsh look.
"I appreciate your concern Ma'am, but I'll have time to eat later," Baker said and rushed out to meet the other soldiers.
"That was mean!" Annie hissed to L.T.
L.T. gritted his teeth in an attempt to control his temper.
"This is war, not Breakfast at Tiffany's," L.T. said calmly as he headed out to the helicopter. Annie right on his heels, said, "But he could at least have had breakfast, your mission can wait," she argued.
L.T. whirled around in anger, "My mission can wait! This isn't my mission, this is our mission, my team's. I didn't choose this war, it chose me!" he yelled in her face. Surprised, she didn't know whether to slap him or walk away. She didn't get the chance to decide as an explosion rocked the base.